Prior to Spectrum
by Shado Room of Souls
Summary: Sometimes we just can't continue. Life is too hard, too challenging, too tiring. So we give up. We get so close to giving up completely, and then something compels us, revives us from our slumber. We wake up and carry on; a rainbow lights up our heart. A spectrum of colors filling our minds. But is a rainbow always a good thing to see? Cover-InuHoshi-to-Darkpen/MyLittlePinkieDash.


**-Prologue-**

The mare shifted her weight to even out her stance; she had been standing in one place for too long. Must've zoned out again; she was so tired these days. The rough cobblestone street bit at her hooves as she began to walk home again, a chilly wind ruffling her downy feathers. She brought her wings to her side, closing her eyes as she shivered violently for a moment before it subsided to mere shaking. It was only the beginning of autumn, and yet her job had taken its toll already. _It seems to get colder earlier and earlier every year_, she mused. But, she needed the bits, and the factory paid well. She earned at least fifty to a hundred bits for each visit, depending on how much she had to offer and how often. Lately she had only been receiving about sixty-five bits on average, at least ten bits less than last month.

Her voice once again filled her thoughts with a reply to her day's recap: _…..I'm fading….._Her coat _had _been duller than usual today, her mane, tail, and cutie mark especially. Lifting her wings, a few dull cyan feathers fluttered to the ground, and the remaining feathers looked ruffled and messy. Her mane felt frizzed and the tip of her fringe visible also had dullness to it. Looking back at her tail, she noted the lose strands of hair everywhere, the wear and tear of her career further emphasized by the lack of luster that shone on the appendage before. Even the mark on her flank looked as if it was unhappy, its colors lifeless, representing how stressful her 'special talent' had become.

She looked around her, at her surroundings, the ponies walking past her with foals or groceries, walking into shops and stopping at kiosks, bits jangling in their saddlebags. Some were trotting fast, eager to get somewhere they needed to be. Others were walking slower, enjoying the marketplace life and chatting with everypony. Almost all those surrounding her were smiling, though, or laughing at something another said. Those who weren't smiling still had eyes full of life and brightness. The Pegasus stopped in front of a puddle that reflected the unusually cloudy day. _The others aren't keeping up as fast as I did._ Looking down into the gray water, the mare noted her eyes. They looked almost maroon; they had faded the fastest. The colored orbs looked so empty, so….dead…..

A pony splashed into a puddle close to the dull mare, scattering water droplets through the air. They caught the clouded sunlight for an instant before some landed in the puddle, causing ripples to distort her reflection. A dull sky-hued hoof landed in the middle of the puddle, the Pegasus purposely blocking out her face and causing more ripples to shatter her body into bouncing rings. She slowly plodded on.

Arriving at her cloud home, the mare used the last of her strength to flop onto her plush bed, leaving her to gaze at the remaining two cloud walls, sole large window, and ceiling. Mauve irises shifted to look at what she called her 'poster wall.' There was her faded Wonderbolts poster from the first show she went to, when she was just a filly. So young, so innocent. _Heh, _the Pegasus thought bitterly, _if only. _She attempted to look at her other posters, and then realized all she had on her wall was the Wonderbolts. Some posters were faded and dusty, others peeling from the wall, still more fresh and newly taped or stapled from earlier in the year. The ink of Spitfire, Soarin', or Fleetfoot, among others', signatures adorned many. _What a dream I had_. The mare was thinking a lot to herself lately, but didn't she always think more after her visits? _But that's all it was. As if I could ever make the most elite flying team in all of Equestria. _She snorted in disdain, a puff of air shooting out her nostrils in a moment of anger. Then it passed and the pony sighed in defeat as she was reminded of her current state.

Tired of reminiscing, the Pegasus rolled over on her cloud bed to get some sleep. Her tattered wings opened, enveloping her, hugging her. The attempted self-comfort was futile. It made her feel even lonelier in this world where she always had been. Right from the start. Nopony cared, Tartarus, nopony cares now. Nopony ever cared, just shooting her a passing glance of either a blank stare from a stranger or a look of contempt. The only ponies who ever cared were her parents, but they were long gone. Through the pain and anger, depression and fatigue, even the emptiness, sparkling tears flowed down her cheeks onto the cloud mattress, where they were immediately absorbed. They were the only bright part of her anymore. She used to be bright, happy, boastful, confident, fast,_ awesome_…..but she wasn't anymore. The mare was a shell of her former self. A hollow Rainbow Dash.

**-Chapter One—**

_Just another day in Ponyville. _Rainbow Dash thought sarcastically as she surveyed today's crowd. Mostly fillies and colts walking home from school. As the cyan mare passed them, many of the youngsters gave her a quick, slightly scared glance before turning back to their friends. She noted how they walked just a little faster afterwards. Others looked uneasy, and still more didn't give her a second thought; she was that useless to them. _Why would I be of any use anyway?_ Sighing, the Pegasus trotted past the emptying schoolhouse into the market. As tired as she was, she had to eat and bathe; her supplies were running low. Dash's head turned left and right, searching for an adequate (to her) food kiosk. Spying the orange booth, she decided it would do and head over.

"Three oranges please." She was taken aback by her own voice; had it really gotten _that _bad? The salespony behind the counter raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Grabbing three oranges, the stallion placed them on the counter.

"That'll be six bits." Placing the required amount of coin onto the stand's surface, Dash picked up the fruits and placed them inside her bag.

"Thank you, sir." The vendor was still staring at her suspiciously. _What's his deal? _The Pegasus thought, irritated slightly. "….Did you need something?" She asked warily, not wanting to anger him; she wasn't in the mood to argue today. All she wanted to do was get home and sleep, regain some of her strength.

"You're that mare, er, Rainbow Dash?" The brown Earth pony inquired.

"Yes…." Was her tentative answer.

"Didn't you used ta be th' head of the Weather Team?" The stallion continued.

"What about it?" Rainbow was getting a little annoyed, but she was touchy with the subject.

". . ." The vendor paused, obviously registering her aggravation. "Just wanted ta mention that th' skies were a bit clearah' when you were still doin' that kinda stuff, so they tell me."

"Oh." The Pegasus felt her anger drain. "Heh, I know. Is that a Manehattan accent?"

"Yeah, I recently moved here, still tryin' ta get used ta it. Blend in, ya know?"

"Couldn't agree more. Still getting used to my new job." She was warming up a little to this guy; he wasn't as bad as her prejudgment thought.

"Well, good luck ta ya, all th' same." He smiled encouragingly.

"To you too, sir. Have a good day." With that, Dash trotted off, a little more bounce in her step than normally. Maybe all it did take to make someone happy was a smile.

After buying a few more groceries, Rainbow Dash started home. She had bought, along with the citrus, soap, shampoo, conditioner, hair dye (to help brighten her mane a little), bread, juice, and carrots. Her bit pouch was found to be at least thirty bits lighter than before, but she still had thirty-five left, so it wasn't bad. Besides, she went to work again Friday, and today was Wednesday, so she only had tomorrow and she was up another sixty or so. Placing about half the remaining bits in her piggy bank, and leaving the remaining twenty in her pouch, she sat on her bed with an orange. As she peeled it, Dash reflected on her week.

Sunday, the Pegasus surprisingly awoke at an early seven, and hung out with her friends Cloudchaser and Flitter. It was fun, talking and laughing with them, but their smiles seemed forced. They knew something was wrong, but didn't ask. They went to a restaurant, bought some hay fries and shakes, and the pair filled Dash in on what was happening on the Weather Team. Nothing too interesting. She arrived home at three, and stared out her window for a few hours before retiring to her bed.

Monday, she went to work at eight, came back home, and immediately slept until about four. Then she ate some leftover hay fries, drank the last of the juice she had, and went to bed. The days she worked were always the most exhausting.

Tuesday, she awoke at twelve, ate the rest of the hay fries, and decided to survey the town from a cloud that day. Several ponies were rushing that day, and she still didn't know why. Shrugging and popping a citrus slice in her mouth, she continued her recap.

Wednesday, aka today, she woke at nine, and headed to the schoolhouse. Scootaloo always expected her on Wednesdays to greet her before and after school. The orange filly hadn't arrived though, strangely. Deciding to come back after school anyway, in case she came in late, Rainbow chatted with Ditzy, who had walked Dinky to school. Ditzy, or Derpy, as many called her, wasn't the brightest lightning bolt in the storm, but she meant well, and actually still acknowledged her existence. It seemed like Cloudchaser, Flitter, Ditzy Doo, and Fluttershy were her only friends. They were good friends, though CC and Flits (as she had nicknamed the pair) were slowly slipping away, she could tell. When school had ended, Scootaloo still hadn't arrived; she must've been sick. So Dash went to market, and here she was now.

_Still, the week so far has been more interesting than usual. _The blue Pegasus thought. Reaching for another slice, the mare realized her hoof was empty, as she had finished her orange throughout her flashback. Picking up the peelings and depositing them in her bedside trash can, Rainbow Dash trotted to her bed again. _My bed has been my home lately. _She thought, sighing as she laid down on it once more. Her wings were folded at her sides today, as she wasn't feeling as sad as yesterday. But her soul still felt empty. She was _so_ tired, and yet didn't fall asleep until late into the night.

**-Chapter Two-**

Dash was getting worried. Since the day Scootaloo hadn't shown up before or after school, she had been waiting outside the school for the last few days to wait for Scoots and still give the greeting the filly so loved. But the orange Pegasus hadn't been there. She had talked to her fellow Pegasi, the shop vendors, the fillies and colts of the schoolhouse and of the fan club for her Scootaloo ran, Tartarus, she had asked the whole town. No one had seen hide or hair of her number one fan.

_Where has she gone? _Rainbow Dash questioned herself. Usually the spunky filly never left her side, and yet here she was, gone without a trace. _Maybe I can ask her mom and dad…_ Starting to walk over towards Cloudsdale, suddenly the mare stopped. _I don't know her mom and dad….better ask Cheerilee; she has all the student records. _

Arriving at the schoolhouse, the Pegasus gently rapped on the door. Even though it was Sunday, she knew that this certain day of the week was when Cheerilee went into school to get her classroom ready for the following week.

"Come in." Came the teacher's kind reply. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, I was about to come find you after I finished grading these papers."

"Well, I'm here now."

"Have you seen Scootaloo? I know she really idolizes you, and I wondered if maybe she was staying with you since she hasn't—"

"What?" The cyan mare softly spoke her shocked reply. "You haven't seen her?"

"Why, no. That's why I was coming to ask you." The mauve mare's surprised reply barely reached Dash's ears.

"Don't you have her…." She twirled a hoof in the air, trying to put her, well, _hoof _on the phrase. "..student records, I guess? Y'know the things that say who her parents are and stuff?"

"Rainbow…..she listed _you_ as her legal guardian. You had to sign a form?" Dash _did_ vaguely remember Scootaloo asking her to sign something near the beginning of the school year. With her ego back then, she had merely assumed it was an autograph or something. And she always received the filly's report cards and teacher complaints in the mail. The mare had simply shrugged it off as a wrong address, and gave all that to Scootaloo.

"She…I…..I didn't know…." The dull hued mare stumbled over her words in astonishment.

"You didn't know? Rainbow, you're her _only _listed legal guardian. You are to be held responsible if something happened to her, you do realize that?" Cheerilee raised an eyebrow and exchanged a concerned glance with Rainbow Dash.

"….No…No….Something _couldn't _have happened to her…"

"I'm afraid it is a possibility."

With that, the Pegasus raced out of the schoolhouse. She had to find Scootaloo.

_She could've been mauled by Timber Wolves, or kidnapped by that strange pony from the Everfree Forest, or could be cold, scared, hungry, alone….._

All these thoughts were running through the mares head almost as fast as she was flying. Her wings were a blur, lose feathers flying everywhere, tears streaming from her eyes, mane blown back, ears flat against her head. She could feel the cone of air forming around her front hooves and head, but she didn't care. Dash just _had _to find her. She didn't realize she cared this much until now, because the filly had always been by her side, always peeking out of bush, or praising her 'awesomeness.'

_Was I _really _that adored back then? _Shaking her head and putting her train of thought back on track, the mare speeded through another cloud, the cone growing thinner as she flew as fast as she could, to anywhere. She didn't care, she just didn't care about anything at the moment. Not the feathers painfully being broken at the shafts as she flew, not her eyes burning as her reflex to blink failed her due to the wind, not the very wind that bit at her thin coat and the skin underneath, not even her own life. Just Scootaloo. The filly couldn't make it on her own; she hadn't grown up yet. She was barely shoulder height, and her wings, the muscles being unusually weak and not fit for endurance at her age, couldn't lift her off the ground more than a few feet. The little filly had known nothing but happiness; she wasn't ready to face the world's rude awakening yet. Not yet…

Suddenly, bursting through her thoughts, the cone suddenly narrowed greatly and flared as a ring of colors exploded out behind her, a burst of speed and a rainbow trailing after Dash to accompany it. The Sonic Rainboom. _I didn't know I could still do that! The factory has left me so tired…._

As her words faded in her head, puffed out by the exhilaration and adrenaline flooding her mind, the mare suddenly dropped like a stone. The Rainboom had weakened her to unconsciousness. Rainbow Dash fell towards the ground, increasing in speed every foot he fell. She was bursting through clouds like they were air; her speed was too great. The mare was going to hit the ground. Hard.

**A/N:**** Yup, new story. Important notes: The Mane Six do not exist yet to Rainbow Dash in this story. Fluttershy is there because she was Dash's friend in flight school. So Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, Twilight, AJ, Rarity, Luna, Granny Smith, Applejack, etc. do not appear in this story and will not appear in future chapters. I hope you enjoyed these chapters (mini-chapters, if you will). My best to all of you and see you soon in the reviews! -Shado**


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